Chapter 109

Under the cover of night, the Security Command Headquarters seemed especially quiet. Only a secluded meeting room on the third floor still had a dim yellow light on.

Yang Chengdong looked around at the several officers in the room and asked, "Everyone's here?" These were his longtime confidants, the ones who truly had a say in the Security Army.

"Chief," Chief of Staff Li Weiguo was about to speak when he was suddenly interrupted by the sound of hurried footsteps.

"Reporting, Chief!" an intelligence officer rushed in, saying, "Just received news: Inspector Lin tonight at Bailemen had contact with the Jiangnan Four Young Masters."

Yang Chengdong frowned: "Give me the details."

"According to reliable intelligence, Inspector Lin warned the Four Young Masters to withdraw two reinforced battalions within three days, or else..." the intelligence officer paused, "or else he would personally take action."

The meeting room erupted in an uproar. Lin Yu's move was completely unexpected.

"Chief," Li Weiguo lowered his voice, "what do you think of this..."

Yang Chengdong did not answer immediately, but lit a cigarette. The smoke swirled in the light, revealing his somewhat weary face.

"Gentlemen," he said slowly, "the situation is more complicated than we imagined. The Jiangnan Four Young Masters' visit today appears to support Qin Chang'an, but in reality they are probing our limits."

"But Chief," Zhang Zhi Yuan, commander of the First Regiment of the Security Army, exclaimed indignantly, "They're going too far! Relying on their backing, they think they can make us bow?"

"The problem isn't here," Yang Chengdong exhaled a puff of smoke, "the key now is why Lin Yu chose to intervene at this moment."

"Could it be..." Li Weiguo frowned, "that he wants to seize the opportunity to expand his influence?"

"You're too young," Yang Chengdong shook his head, "this isn't a simple power struggle. Qin Chang'an may be the Young Commander, but he currently cannot control the troops. Lin Yu's warning to the Four Young Masters now is meant to..."

He suddenly stopped, a flash of sharpness in his eyes: "He wants to watch us fight. Once the Security Army is in internal chaos, he can sit back and reap the benefits."

The meeting room fell into silence. Everyone felt an unprecedented pressure.

"Chief," Wang Deming, commander of the Third Regiment of the Security Army, suddenly said, "No matter what happens, we will follow you."

The other officers also expressed their stance. Over the years, it has been Yang Chengdong's promotion that gave them their current positions.

"Good." Yang Chengdong stood up, his gaze firm, "Then we must hold steady. The most important thing now is to prevent the troops' morale from wavering."

He walked to the map, pointing at several key points: "The First and Third Regiments shall immediately adjust their defensive zones, focusing on controlling these key routes. The Second Regiment will serve as the reserve, ready to provide support at any moment."

"Yes!" the regiment chiefs replied in unison.

"Remember," Yang Chengdong said in a low, powerful voice, "our opponent is not just the Four Young Masters; we must also guard against Lin Yu's moves. This man... is far more dangerous than we imagined."

"Chief," Zheng Shenguo, who had been silent until now, suddenly said, "In my view, rather than passively taking hits, it's better to strike first."

The atmosphere in the meeting room tightened abruptly. As one of the important commanders of the Security Army, Zheng Shenguo has always been known for his hardline stance.

"Tell us your idea," Yang Chengdong narrowed his eyes.

"It's simple," Zheng Shenguo stood up and strode to the map, "we now hold real military authority. Taking advantage of the fact that those two reinforced battalions haven't fully deployed their defenses, we can give them a lesson. Let the Sun family know that Shen City's territory is not something they can just stick their hands into."

"You're crazy!" Li Weiguo jumped up, "Do you have no idea how powerful Governor Sun's forces are?"

"What's there to fear?" Zheng Shenguo sneered, "Even the Sun family cannot openly oppose the Security Army. Besides, the brothers still remember Commander Qin's kindness, and morale is high..."

"And then?" Yang Chengdong cut him off, "Have you considered the consequences? Once fighting breaks out, Qin Chang'an will have justification to mobilize other units. Then the entire Security Army will descend into chaos. Is that what you want?"

Zheng Shenguo still wanted to say something, but Yang Chengdong stopped him with a raised hand.

"I know you mean well for the Security Army," Yang Chengdong's tone softened, "but the current situation is not merely a military confrontation. Inspector Lin's side is eyeing us like a tiger, and the foreigners in the concessions are waiting to see us fail. Once our internal conflict erupts..."

He didn't finish, but everyone understood his meaning.

"But Chief," Zheng Shenguo still unwilling to give up, "are we just going to let the Sun family's people stir up trouble in Shen City?"

"When it's time to act, we act," Yang Chengdong stood up, "but not now. Remember, enduring for a moment is not weakness; it's waiting for a better opportunity."

Zheng Shenguo clenched his fists, clearly dissatisfied with this decision. As a longtime follower of Commander Qin Dongzhi, he felt unusually angry about this passive situation.

"Zheng Shenguo makes a point," Sun Desheng suddenly said, drawing everyone's gaze to this commander of the 13th Brigade, "but launching military action now would be tantamount to seeking death."

Yang Chengdong looked at this old colleague. In the Security Army, Sun Desheng has always been known for being seasoned and smooth, rarely taking sides.

"Desheng, what do you think?"

"Chief," Sun Desheng rose slowly, "what we need most now is not enemies, but friends."

He walked to the map, pointing at several key positions: "The Chinese leaders in the French Concession, the heads of underground gangs, even some neutral military officers... these people are all watching and waiting."

"What you mean..." Li Weiguo pondered.

"Win over one faction, strike another," Sun Desheng lowered his voice, "for example, Huang Genrong—although he is a Chinese leader in the French Concession, he is Chinese at heart. As long as we show sufficient sincerity..."

A glint of approval flashed in Yang Chengdong's eyes. This is indeed a good idea: it avoids direct confrontation while winning more support for the Security Army.

"How exactly should we do it?"

"First," Sun Desheng said, "we can covertly contact these neutral parties, letting them know that the Security Army is the protector of Shen City, while the Sun family is an outside tiger; second, we can appropriately grant them benefits, such as relaxing restrictions on their businesses..."

"Doing this," he continued, "not only can it isolate the Sun family's power, but it can also make Inspector Lin hesitate to act. After all, no matter how strong he is, he cannot ignore the sentiments of these local forces."

The meeting room fell into a brief silence. Everyone was considering the feasibility of this proposal.

"Good." Yang Chengdong finally gave the go-ahead, "Let's do as Desheng said. Li Weiguo, you handle contacting the French Concession side. As for the underground gangs..."

"Leave this to me," Sun Desheng volunteered, "I have some connections with Old Three Du."

Zheng Shenguo still wanted to say something, but seeing Yang Chengdong's gaze, he finally chose silence. He understood that at this juncture, perhaps a steady political approach would be more effective than a risky military operation.